Teel Time: Virginia's McKay interviews with College of Charleston

By David Teel

Virginia associate head basketball coach Ritchie McKay confirmed Monday that he has interviewed for the College of Charleston’s head-coaching position.

McKay has 13 seasons of big-whistle experience, at Portland State, Colorado State, Oregon State, New Mexico and Liberty, compiling a 204-186 record. He left the latter job in 2009 to join Tony Bennett’s Virginia staff and has played an integral role in the Cavaliers’ national emergence.

Virginia has reached two of the last three NCAA tournaments and last season advanced to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 1995. Moreover, the Cavaliers dominated the ACC, going 16-2 during the regular season, winning the conference tournament and earning a No. 1 NCAA East Regional seed.

It was Virginia’s first ACC tournament championship since 1976 and first No. 1 NCAA seed since 1983, Ralph Sampson’s senior year.

Whether or not McKay lands the gig, there’s no denying his credentials and value to the Cavaliers. Bennett trusts him implicitly, and he’s contributed as a recruiter, teacher and bench strategist. Given his deep connections with Bennett — here’s a link to a March column on the stability of Virginia’s staff and the McKay-Bennett dynamic — McKay would find it difficult to leave a close friend and program on the rise.

“The College of Charleston is a job that can and will attract a very good coach,” McKay said Monday afternoon. “So I’m flattered to be considered. At the same time, the University of Virginia is a special place, and I work for a special man with a terrific group of players and assistant coaches.”

Charleston’s awkwardly late search comes in the wake of the school’s firing of Doug Wojcik, whom players accused of verbal and physical abuse. The Cougars were 39-28 in Wojcik’s two years, 14-18 this past season, their first in the Colonial Athletic Association.

Charleston made four NCAA tournaments from 1994-99 under John Kresse, whose name is on the Cougars’ home court. Kresse retired in 2001, and neither Tom Herrion, Bobby Cremins nor Wojcik returned the program to that level.

The Charleston Post and Courier’s Andrew Miller reported Monday that McKay is among six finalists. The others are N.C. State assistant Bobby Lutz, Clemson assistant Earl Grant, Connecticut assistant Karl Hobbs, Wofford coach Mike Young and former Cougars star Anthony Johnson. Lutz is a former head coach at Charlotte, Hobbs at George Washington.

Miller reported that Johnson is the leading candidate, despite having never coached. Johnson was on two of Kresse’s NCAA teams and played 13 NBA seasons.

Bennett has kept his entire staff -- McKay, assistants Jason Williford and Ron Sanchez, and support personnel Brad Soucie, Ronnie Wideman and Mike Curtis -- intact during his five seasons at Virginia, remarkable and invaluable stability in building a program. He would be lucky to retain McKay. Charleston would be as fortunate to hire him.

I can be reached at 247-4636 or by email at dteel@dailypress.com. Follow me at twitter.com/DavidTeelatDP